Transform coefficient compression using multiple scans

ABSTRACT

A transform coefficient block of a frequency domain representation of a digital image is processed by performing scans on at least three different regions of the block.

BACKGROUND

[0001] Data compression is used for reducing the cost of storing large data files on computers, as well as reducing the time for transmitting large data files between computers. In the so-called “transform methods” data is transformed into coefficients that represent the data in a frequency domain. Coefficients may be quantized (lossy compression) without significantly affecting the quality of data that is reconstructed from the quantized coefficients. Redundancy in the coefficients may then be reduced or eliminated without affecting quality of the reconstructed data (lossless compression).

[0002] One class of transforms is the discrete cosine transform. The DCT puts most of the image information in a small number of coefficients. The majority of the coefficients can be quantized to smaller bit sizes in order to gain compression.

[0003] The DCT is fast to calculate. However, performing lossless compression on the DCT coefficients can be expensive and complex.

SUMMARY

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a transform coefficient block of a frequency domain representation of a digital image is processed by performing scans on at least three different regions of the block. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a method of compressing a digital image.

[0006]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a transform coefficient block of a frequency domain representation of the digital image.

[0007]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a method of performing context-based coding on a block of the frequency domain representation.

[0008]FIG. 4 is an illustration of a method of reconstructing a digital image from a bitstream.

[0009]FIG. 5 is an illustration of apparatus for performing compression and reconstruction of a digital image.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is embodied in a method for compressing digital images. The method is especially efficient for compressing digital images containing text and other shapes having horizontal and vertical edges. The method may be used by printers and other machines having separate pipelines for text and graphics.

[0011] The method will be described in connection with the discrete cosine transform. However, the method is not limited to DCT transforms. It may be used with Wavelets-based transforms and other transforms in which energy is concentrated (e.g., most of the energy in the low frequency components).

[0012] Reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows a method of compressing a digital image. The digital image includes an array of pixels. In the spatial domain, each pixel is represented by an n-bit word. In a typical 24-bit word representing RGB color space, for instance, eight bits represent a red component, eight bits represent a green component and eight bits represent a blue component.

[0013] The digital image is transformed from the spatial domain to a frequency domain (110). A discrete cosine transform may be used to transform blocks of pixels in the spatial domain to blocks of DCT coefficients in the frequency domain. For example, 8×8 blocks of pixels may be transformed to 8×8 blocks of DCT coefficients.

[0014] Lossy compression is performed on the blocks of transform coefficients (112). For example, the DCT coefficients may be quantized. Quantization rounds off the DCT coefficients to zero and non-zero values.

[0015] Additional reference is now made to FIG. 2, which shows an 8×8 block 210 of DCT coefficients. The DC coefficient is in the upper left hand corner, and frequency increases towards the lower right hand corner. Typically, the quantized higher frequency coefficients will be equal to zero.

[0016] Lossless compression of the transform coefficients is then performed (114). Scans 212, 214 and 216 are performed on three different regions of each transform coefficient block (116). The first region includes, and the first scan 212 covers, those coefficients lying along a diagonal of the transform coefficient block 210. The second region includes, and the second scan 214 covers, those coefficients lying above the first region. The third region includes, and the third scan 216 covers, those coefficients lying below the first region. The second scan 214 (covering the coefficients in the second region) tends to cover horizontal edges, whereas the third scan 216 (covering the coefficients in the third region) tends to cover vertical edges.

[0017] Each scan may progress from the low frequency coefficients to the high frequency components. Typically the DC coefficient is not scanned because it is coded separately. Preferably, each scan 212, 214 and 216 covers the same number of coefficients. In the 8×8 block of transform coefficients shown in FIG. 2, each scan 212, 214 and 216 covers twenty one coefficients.

[0018] The coefficients are coded, one block at a time (118). Moreover, the scans of each block are coded separately. For example, the DC coefficient is coded and added to an output bitstream, the coefficients covered by the first scan 212 are coded and added to the bitstream, then the coefficients covered by the second scan 214 are coded and added to the bitstream, and then the coefficients covered by the third scan 216 are coded and added to the bitstream. The coding reduces the number of bits without reducing image information. The coding may be performed in any number of ways. As examples, the coefficients in each scan may be coded by conventional Huffman coding followed by run-length encoding, or they may be coded by entropy encoding or arithmetic coding.

[0019] Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which shows yet another coding method: context-based coding. The context-based coding is based on the assumption that the coefficients in a scan will typically have different distributions. The context-based coding assigns different codebooks to different distributions. For example, a first codebook is assigned to coefficients displaying a narrow distribution centered about zero, and a different codebook is assigned to coefficients displaying a wide distribution centered about zero. This approach tends to be more efficient than using the same codebook for the different distributions.

[0020] The context-based coding may be performed on each block as follows. The DC coefficient is coded and added to the bitstream (312). If all coefficients in all scans are equal to zero (314), a special symbol indicating such is added to the bitstream (316), and the coding is finished. If all coefficients in all scans are not equal to zero (314), a special symbol indicating such is added to the bitstream (318), and the first scan is examined (326).

[0021] The last non-zero coefficient in the scan is found, and its position is coded and added to the bitstream (320). Then, the coefficients in the scan are processed (322) in reverse order, from the last non-zero coefficient in the scan to the first. If a scan contains all zero coefficients, the position of the last non-zero coefficient may be coded as a zero, and no coefficients would be processed. Another scan is examined (326) until all scans have been coded (324).

[0022] The coefficients in a scan may be processed (322) by using the n^(th) coefficient in the scan as context for the n−1^(th) coefficient in the scan. The n^(th) coefficient is used to select one of multiple codebooks for the n−1^(th) coefficient, and the selected codebook is used to provide a codeword for the n−1^(th) coefficient. Path length and magnitude of each coefficient may be coded. The codeword corresponding to the n−1^(th) coefficient is added to the bitstream.

[0023] Consider the following example of coefficients in a scan: 153, −41, −8, −1, −1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, . . . 0, 0. Now consider the following rule for assigning codebooks: a codebook co is assigned to a coefficient preceding a 0, a codebook c₁ to a coefficient preceding a ±1, a codebook c₂ to a coefficient preceding a ±2, a codebook c₃ to a coefficient preceding a ±3 or ±4, a codebook c₄ to a coefficient preceding a ±5 or ±6 or ±7 or ±8, and codebook c₅ to all other coefficients. The codebooks are assigned as shown below in Table 1. A codeword for 153 is taken from codebook c₅, a codeword for −41 is taken from codebook c₄, a codeword for −8 is taken from codebook c₁, and so on. TABLE 1 Coeff. No. Value Codebook Assignment 1 153 Assign codebook c₅ 2 −41 Assign codebook c₄ 3 −8 Assign codebook c₁ 4 −1 Assign codebook c₁ 5 −1 Assign codebook c₁ 6 1 Assign codebook c₀ 7 0 Assign codebook c₁ 8 1 Start assigning here. Assign codebook c₀ 9 0 10 0

[0024] The compression method was just described for a single color channel. For a color digital image having multiple color channels (e.g., RGB, YUV), the method is performed on each color channel. Resulting are nine scans per block, which are coded separately. Context from the luminance channel may be used to code the chrominance channels. If a luminance value is 0, it may be assumed that the chrominance component is also zero.

[0025] Reference is now made to FIG. 4. A digital image is reconstructed by decoding a bitstream into frequency domain coefficients (410); filling in at least three different regions of each transform coefficient block with the decoded frequency domain components to produce a frequency domain representation (412); and performing an inverse transform on the frequency domain representation (414).

[0026] Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which shows a machine 510 that performs one or both of the compression and reconstruction methods described above. The machine 510 includes a processor 512 and memory 514. The memory 514 stores a program 516 that, when executed, causes the processor 512 to compress or reconstruct the digital image as described above.

[0027] The compression method is not limited to the number of scan patterns and the shape of the scan patterns described above. Thus the compression method is not limited to three scan patterns having zig-zag shapes. The shapes of the scan patterns may be selected according to properties of the digital image.

[0028] Different scans may be non-overlapping, or they may overlap certain coefficients. Different scans may cover different numbers of transform coefficients, or they may cover the same number of coefficients.

[0029] More than three scans may be used. However, increasing the number of scans reduces the number of coefficients in each scan.

[0030] The method is not limited to 8×8 blocks of transform coefficients. Blocks of other sizes may be used.

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated above. Instead, the present invention is construed according to the claims that follow. 

1. A method of processing a transform coefficient block of a frequency domain representation of a digital image, the method comprising performing scans on at least three different regions of the block.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scans cover the same number of coefficients.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the regions are selected according to properties of the image.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the regions are optimized for edges in the image.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the regions are non-overlapping.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first scan is performed on a first region, a second scan is performed on a second region, and a third scan is performed on a third region, the first region being along a diagonal of the block, the second and third regions being on opposite sides of the first region.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein a zig-zag scan is performed in each region.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising coding the coefficients covered by the scans, the scans being coded separately.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein for each scan, the last non-zero coefficient is found, and the coefficients are coded in reverse order from the last non-zero coefficient to the first coefficient in the scan.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the coefficients are coded using the n^(th) coefficient in the scan as context for the n−1^(th) coefficient in the scan.
 11. Apparatus for processing a frequency domain representation of a digital image, the apparatus comprising a processor for performing scans on at least three different regions of at least one block of the frequency domain representation.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the scans cover the same number of coefficients.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the regions are selected according to properties of the image.
 14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the regions are optimized for edges in the image.
 15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the regions are non-overlapping.
 16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a first scan is performed on a first region, a second scan is performed on a second region, and a third scan is performed on a third region, the first region being along a diagonal of a block, the second and third regions being on opposite sides of the first region.
 17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a zig-zag scan is performed in each region.
 18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor codes also codes the coefficients covered by the scans, the scans being coded separately.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each scan, the last non-zero coefficient is found, and the coefficients are coded in reverse order from the last non-zero coefficient to the first coefficient.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor chooses from different codebooks to select codewords for the coefficients, a codebook for the n^(th) coefficient being selected according to the n−1^(th) coefficient in the scan.
 21. Apparatus for processing a digital image, the apparatus comprising: means for generating a frequency domain representation of the digital image; and means for performing scans on at least three different regions of each block of the frequency domain representation.
 22. An article for a processor, the article comprising computer memory encoded with a program for instructing the processor to perform scans on at least three different regions of a block of a transform domain representation of the image.
 23. The article of claim 22, wherein the scans cover the same number of coefficients in each block.
 24. The article of claim 22, wherein the regions are selected according to properties of the image.
 25. The article of claim 22, wherein the regions are optimized for edges in the image.
 26. The article of claim 22, wherein the regions are non-overlapping.
 27. The article of claim 22, wherein a first scan is performed on a first region, a second scan is performed on a second region, and a third scan is performed on a third region, the first region being along a diagonal of a block, the second and third regions being on opposite sides of the first region.
 28. The article of claim 22, wherein a zig-zag scan is performed in each region.
 29. The article of claim 22, further comprising coding the coefficients covered by the scans, each scan being coded separately by finding the last non-zero coefficient, and coding the coefficients in reverse order, from the last non-zero coefficient to the first coefficient.
 30. The article of claim 29, wherein the computer memory is further encoded with multiple codebooks, the program instructing the processor to select a codebook for a coefficient, select a codeword from the selected codebook, and add the selected codeword to a bitstream.
 31. The article of claim 30, wherein the codebook for the n−1^(th) coefficient in a scan is selected according to the n^(th) coefficient in the scan.
 32. A method of reconstructing a digital image from a bitstream, the method comprising: decoding the bitstream into frequency domain coefficients; filling in at least three different regions of each block of a frequency domain representation with the frequency domain components, the regions filled separately; and performing an inverse transform on the frequency domain representation to produce the digital image.
 33. The method of claim 32, wherein each region is filled in according to a scan pattern.
 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the scan pattern is a zig-zag pattern.
 35. Apparatus for decoding a bitstream, the apparatus comprising a processor for decoding the bitstream into frequency domain coefficients; and filling in at least three different regions of each block of a frequency domain representation with the frequency domain components, the regions filled separately.
 36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein each region is filled according to a scan pattern.
 37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the scan pattern is a zig-zag pattern.
 38. An article for a processor, the article comprising computer memory encoded with a program for instructing the processor to decode a bitstream into frequency domain coefficients, and separately fill in at least three different regions of each block of a frequency domain representation.
 39. The article of claim 38, wherein each region is filled in according to a scan pattern.
 40. The article of claim 39, wherein the scan pattern is a zig-zag pattern. 